I can no longer afford my makeup, but I don't want to go back to drugstore, what do i do?

I've lived in Texas my whole life, and I'm about to make a big move from my cute country small town to the big city of Los Angeles! Exciting right?

Well it costs much more to live there and I'm not gonna have the same types of funds for all of my makeup and skincare that i had, and I really don't know what to do. I really don't want to go back to drugstore because that stuff breaks me out and never matches or lasts on me. But I can't be spending my rent or utility money on my makeup or skincare. I don't what to do! I can't live without my algenlist or Bobbi brown, does anyone know what to do in this situation?

Re: I can no longer afford my makeup, but I don't want to go back to drugstore, what do i do?

Oh yeah, you can also sometimes find great stuff at Marshall's and Tjmaxx in addition to great clothing (My mom once got me a Micheal Kors jacket at Marshall's for $20 because she is a miracle-worker). Mostly I've seen skincare items and great discounted perfumes here (I got a Moschino body lotion called Hippy Fizz at Marshall's for $10--and it's kind of the same as having the perfume in terms of smell--and I bought another one as a gift to my sister! ), so it's always worthwhile to look and see what they have.

Re: I can no longer afford my makeup, but I don't want to go back to drugstore, what do i do?

I would recommend using sales to stock up on your fave products! Remember Sephora has good sales, but since you are on the budget , sometimes sales from the Brands themselves and their websites are slightly better then at Sephora (but the difference most of the time could be insignificant! )

Also because Sephora is AWESOME - you can go in and have a skin consultation - ask for samples and decide if there other options of skin care for you, besides going straight to drug store.

You'll have to figure out what products are your must haves, which ones you just like, and which ones you just want (because of "why not own them!") - this will narrow down to what exactly you must have - you'll budget accordingly without spending extra!

You could also go on NO BUY's during certain months in order to save the extra cash! At the worst case - you might have to get another job to support the little indulgences.

Re: I can no longer afford my makeup, but I don't want to go back to drugstore, what do i do?

Im not on the same boat, but i do know how you feel. I have always been spending money at Sephora, but this year, money is tight for me and haven't even reached Rouge where last year I was already one when the whole thing started.

But what I will be doing is only buying what i need when they have the 20% off promotions. If its not eyeshadows, I'm sure you can get some samples here and there if your out completely. Also remember since your a rouge you can get your makeup done whenever, so if you want to go out, you just go to Sephora, and have them do your makeup and you won't have to use any of your products.

Re: I can no longer afford my makeup, but I don't want to go back to drugstore, what do i do?

Black Friday is your friend. Honestly, if you do a little advanced research you could probably score enough GWPs that day to last you a year. I forget when it was, but there was a store that had Smashbox shadow trios for $10 if you got there before 9 or 10.

Also, being in LA you can seriously whittle down you clothing expenditures by shopping in and around the Fashion District. Great sample sales AND the Santee Alley, which if you haven't been it's like a carnival only with shoes, clothes, and handbags instead of rides. Churros and all.

Re: I can no longer afford my makeup, but I don't want to go back to drugstore, what do i do?

Aww--this would definitely be considered #girlproblems. But it is justified! Personally, I strongly believe in paying for skin products (whether they are expensive or not) because you are investing in your well-being/ the long-term care and appearance! You probably have a bit of makeup already that you can use for the time being until you are more stable.

Brand name makeup is not necessarily worth all the hype. Like many others suggested, prioritize what you need versus what you want. If you need a specific mascara or foundation that would otherwise not work because you have sensitive skin, then invest in it.

This is a great question I will probably like to include this on my blog!

Re: I can no longer afford my makeup, but I don't want to go back to drugstore, what do i do?

May I suggest the brand Physician's Formula. I have been cuttin back on Sephora spending due to saving for down payment on a house. I found that they have a lot of great products. I especially like the CC cream and the Nude Wear powder. Watch the Target ads, they sometimes have a buy one get one FREE on that brand.

Re: I can no longer afford my makeup, but I don't want to go back to drugstore, what do i do?

Seconded! I found using their powder foundation over the more wallet-friendly (well, compared to some of the $30-50 foundations, anyway) Clinique Acne Solutions foundation gave me great coverage and, more importantly, didn't break me out. PF foundation by itself is also good.

Hey hydee, are their eye makeups any good? I once got one and wasn't impressed, but I figured maybe it was a dud.

Re: I can no longer afford my makeup, but I don't want to go back to drugstore, what do i do?

I haven't had good luck with their eye makeup either - mascara or liners. Even the kajal liners. They all end up on my lower lids! My friend loves the CC cream, but she doesn't have acne so not sure how it would work for someone more sensitive. Best setting powder I've used is pure arrowroot powder (health food store shelves & bulk bins, vitamin shops online). I got the tip from an online forum and i couldn't believe how well it worked! It goes on white but melts in super fast and leaves you glowy matte. It is super lightweight a silky. Much better than cornstarch IMO. And completely non-irritating. Just wanted to add that since we're talking about saving $.

Re: I can no longer afford my makeup, but I don't want to go back to drugstore, what do i do?

I admit the only thing I have tried recently is their Kajal liners and I was happy with them, seemed to wear a long time without any fading for a pressed liner. Worth looking into. The eyeshadows I have tried long ago but I found them a bit too shimmery..for my taste anyway. I keep wanting to get that matte eyeshadow quad they have though.....just curious about them because they seem like they would be great for work. Their mascara I have had zero luck with, it ended up on my bottom lash line like a raccoon at the end of the day. But I was thinking with these samples I have of the Anastasia Lash Genius they might work a little better.

Re: I can no longer afford my makeup, but I don't want to go back to drugstore, what do i do?

You have already received some great advice, but I will offer my own opinion as well. I recommend figuring out which products are your must have, can't-live-without products and which products are products that you can find less expensive alternatives to or live without.

When I was in college, I was on a very strict budget and could not afford a ton of high-end beauty products, however, I always found that it was important for me to have a good quality facial moisturizer, serum, foundation, powder, bronzer and hair products. I would always ask for these products for my birthday or for the holidays from my family and friends. If your family and friends are not that great with purchasing beauty products, you can always ask them for a Sephora gift card so you can pick them up yourself.

Re: I can no longer afford my makeup, but I don't want to go back to drugstore, what do i do?

It's not about how much money you have but how you manage it. If it cut spending in other areas, clip coupons, you can find the money to spend on yourself. Just make sure your bills are paid first. You can also check out the sale section and find some great products for less.

Re: I can no longer afford my makeup, but I don't want to go back to drugstore, what do i do?

Everyone else has given you such good advice. Prioritize, downscale on some of the more replaceable items, etc.

FWIW, I made the move from MI to CA when I was in early 20s. It was a total shocker to me how expensive CA was. This was pre-Internet days and I hadn't researched cost of living before agreeing to take the CA job. Wow. Rent ate up more than half my take-home pay. I was so broke. I was used to having no money from living on campus previously, but wasn't prepared for what CA had in store. This was my first professional job too, so I also needed to have some nicer clothing.

I have to say that the people I worked with, many were much older than I was, and they knew my predicament (doesn't take much to figure it out--my salary grade was public info, and can put 2 and 2 together) and they gave me all sorts of old/beat-up furniture (which was better than nothing), extra dishes they didn't need, etc. I made do with these items and a partially furnished apartment for several years. It didn't matter much because I was on my own (no depending on Mom/Dad) and I was very slowly saving money for eventually buying better things. My friends were all younger like me and they didn't have much either. Nobody really judges in situations like this, although when we are outside looking in (or dreading living in this situation), we fear that people do.

If you feel that your makeup/skincare are going to be your top priority, I agree w/the suggestions to maybe look at less expensive products (not necessarily drugstore brands, but less expensive brands) of those more replaceable items, and then use fewer of the more expensive/top-priority items.

I found that perspective really helps when a big change like this is made. It's a big change but you will find you fit in well no matter what. Someday you'll look back on it and be glad you made the move.

Re: I can no longer afford my makeup, but I don't want to go back to drugstore, what do i do?

Some people have mentioned better quality skin care from health food stores or Whole Foods (which there are a lot of in Cali). If you find something you like there, you can usually get it cheaper from Vitacost. Also, I love Trader Joe's Nourish line face wash and face serum. Not sure how true this is, but there is a rumor that they get it from Perricone MD. You can't beat the price and TJ's are plentiful in Cali, too.

Re: I can no longer afford my makeup, but I don't want to go back to drugstore, what do i do?

I just recently discovered Whole Foods has argan oil and other types of oils for the skin for like $15. I haven't really tried their products out much, but based on looking around, some stuff is surprisingly less pricey than you'd expect there. Also, they usually have tester products around so you can see if something is fragranced and whether or not it works well with your skin. It seems they have fragrances/essential oils too. Trader Joe's also has price-friendly jojoba oil. Also, if you're partial to shower gels, Dr Bronner's has lots of shower gels that are like $10 and fair trade!

Re: I can no longer afford my makeup, but I don't want to go back to drugstore, what do i do?

Oh man, I sympathize!! My skin is also SUPER sensitive and you just can't find good quality makeup for sensitive skin that isn't mucho dinero. I would def recommend spending some quality time at Sephora to see if you can find a slightly less expensive alternative - and ask for samples! You can also contact the companies directly for samples (that's how I got my Dermalogica primer). For the pricier things I can't live without - mostly foundation, mascara and eyeliner because I'm so reactive (skin not emotionally! Lol) - I look for brand new items on ebay. I've gotten my Tarte mascara brand new for $13 instead of $19. Just make sure the seller has a high rating. I don't go for anything less than 99%.

I also save a ton of money on skin care by going more natural. I've tried so many things for my skin - from drugstore to Sephora to high end spa brands - and nothing has worked better for me than stuff I found at my health food store. After MUCH trial and error, I now cleanse/remove makeup with extra virgin coconut oil plus couple drops lavender essential oil (can use tea tree if acne prone, just don't get in eyes!) then hot wash cloth it off then my trusty konjac sponge (I use the plain white cuz I'm so sensitive) that I got for $7 at my HF store, then moisturize with organic unrefined rosehip seed oil + jojoba + warm water. The konjac is really cleansing & gently exfoliating so when I'm not wearing foundation I use it plain as my only cleanser. I also SWEAR by oatmeal masks - all my allergic rashes AND acne have healed with the stuff. Just grind up whole oats or quick oats (but not instant oatmeal) in a coffee grinder/food processor (clean!) or you can buy some whole grain oat flour bulk at some health food stores. Mix with a little hot water (+ a little raw honey if you want) and slather it on! Leave for 15 mins or so & rinse. I also do weekly bentonite masks which are amazing. Just don't let the clay dry on your face. Anyway, all these things are easily found relatively inexpensively and are so much better for your skin. The oils are a little more upfront but last a super long time because you're only using a few drops. My skin has done shockingly well with this regime and I'm now able to wear a lot less makeup and some days I go without! Which was totally unheard of for me before. I actually get tons of compliments on my skin now, which is like, what?!?! Who am I?

You can also look on Etsy for skincare. There are definitely people who are just throwing stuff together but there's some really high quality, impressive products as well. Look for people with lots of positive reviews who sell samples (they don't usually give them away since they're just individuals, not big companies). I just bought some amazing sounding stuff from Face'n'Earth for my mom & me (haven't tried yet) & there are other brands/people that had stuff that sounded really good too.

Re: I can no longer afford my makeup, but I don't want to go back to drugstore, what do i do?

Keep an eye out for sales and CCO's. I believe the OC has one! CCO's usually have bobbi brown , but Algenlist usually has sales so checkout temptalia for deals and subscribe to their emails. Have an amazing time in LA .. it's my favorite city next to NYC.

Re: I can no longer afford my makeup, but I don't want to go back to drugstore, what do i do?

Hi RebeccaKitty, I feel your pain as I used to live/work in LA as well. We rented a 2 bed condo in Redondo Beach which was about $2200 a month at the time.

I would say to save money and maintain your beauty regime, I would:

- Save on food costs (not eating out as much. Takeout is fairly cheap in Cali and there are lots of options, so I don't think normal takeout places would be out of question.) Also, LA has a lot of Asian groceries, like 99 Ranch and Marukan that carry fresh veggies at very low prices compared to regular supermarkets like Ralphs.

- I know moving to a new place you might be tempted to buy furniture/decorate right away, but I would try to hold back on that. Or at least try to get used/refurbished pieces that can save a large chunk of money. Besides, you'll LOVE the awesome scenery and beaches(!) so I'm sure you'll be outside enjoying the beautiful weather!

- Evaluate what other "non-essentials" (as in besides food, shelter and essential clothing) are you spending your disposable money on? Categorize those expenses and cut each category down by 10%, and move the savings to your beauty category.

I think you'll definitely make it work out! And happy living in LA!! I really really miss it.

Re: I can no longer afford my makeup, but I don't want to go back to drugstore, what do i do?

If you're going to shop drugstore, I recommend EXTREME COUPONING! The Sunday newspaper stack has tons of coupons. You can find some on coupons(dot)com and redplum(dot)com. I also suggest applying for loyalty cards at CVS, Walgreens, and Rite Aid. Those drugstores often have deals like "buy one get one 50% off" or sometimes "buy one get one free". You can also get cash back or points that can be used to get a few dollars off any purchase.